Forest Service Approves Expansion To Lookout Pass Ski Area

The U.S. Forest Service has approved an expansion to Lookout Pass ski area. The expansion roughly doubles the size of the permit area. The ski area plans to add about 100 acres of new ski terrain, install two new chair lifts and upgrade an existing chairlift.

An environmental assessment of the project prompted complaints from backcountry skiers and snowmobilers. Sara Gerome, the acting deputy district ranger in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest said the groups were concerned that the expansion would make it harder to enjoy those activities in the area.

"So we sat down and met with those objectors and hashed out some rough ideas about where we’ll go with travel planning back there, and that’s going to be a long process, we’re dealing with two national forests here," Gerome says.

Construction for the project will begin this summer. The ski area’s plans include building new maintenance and guest service facilities and 130 additional parking spaces.